The Bite
by Mithril-Moony
Summary: After his parents' death, Remus Lupin learns the truth about how and why he was bitten.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This story is set in September 1981, just before Lily and James's death. Both Remus's parents have been murdered because of his involvement in the Order of the Phoenix, so he is at their house, taking care of some last business.

* * *

The Letter

Remus sat at his father's desk. The house was empty and dark, oppressive darkness threatening to engulf him. The deep shadows of the room crept slowly upon the solitary candle; they would consume it in the end, he knew.

In front of him, lay a letter in his father's handwriting.

The last he would ever receive.

He read through it slowly, painfully, wading through the fog that clouded his mind.

_Remus,_

_First, let me ask you to forgive me for not telling you this in life. I did not have the courage you have, so please, my son, keep that in mind and do not think too poorly of me after you have finished this letter._

_I told you, once you were old enough, that it was my fault you were bitten, but I did not specify how. I believe that you assumed since then that I meant that I had not kept as close an eye on you as I should have; that I should have made sure you stayed safely inside the house on the nights of the full moon._

_But now it is time for me to admit that your condition is much more my fault than you ever believed._

_As you know, I was active in the Ministry of Magic until your bite, trying to tighten regulations on magical creatures, especially regulations concerning werewolf rights. As much as I hate to admit it, I was all for stripping werewolves of every right I could._

_My actions angered one of the most powerful werewolves in Europe, a beast by the name of Fenrir Greyback. He tracked me down and threated to destroy me, but i did not take him seriously. I admit that I considered his intelligence to be subhuman, and therefor incapable of harming our family._

_The following page contains my confrontation with him, exactly as it took place. I do not want you to feel that you must (or even should) witness this. I just want you to have the option if you feel that you need to understand._

_I love you, Remus, and I hope that it was obvious to you that I changed after you were bitten. I never stopped loving you. I realized that, even though Greyback did what he did out of anger and hate, it did have its benefits. I realized afterward that werewolves are no different from the rest of us, save for one night a month._

_I am proud of you, Remus. Always remember that._

_Love,_

_Julius Lupin_

Carefully, fearfully, Remus put the letter aside and picked up the page behind it. He stared at the blank parchment for a moment, wondering whether his father had actually gotten around to imprinting his memory into it. He and his mother had been murdered so suddenly...perhaps there hadn't been time.

A small black dot appeared in the center of the page and diffused outwards, as if someone had overloaded a quill and let a drop splash onto the page. The dot continued to eat up the parchment until it stopped, about an inch from each edge. As Remus stared at it, he began to notice figures moving inside the black square. The contrast between them and the parchment was slight at first, but they grew clearer as he watched. The background faded to light grey and the figures gradually acquired dimensions. It was now as if he were watching a muggle black and white movie now.

Remus had had experience with this sort of this before, though second hand. Sirius had told him of the time that he had fallen into Dumbledore's pensive while awaiting punishment for telling Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow. Cautiously, he touched the center of the picture with his index finger. The study dissolved around him.


	2. Chapter 2

_May 18, 1965_

"Pull down your hood!" Julius Lupin snapped at the hooded figure before him. "You want to say something to me, say it to me like a man!"

"I'm not a man," said the other. His voice was a low growl. Feral. Menacing. "That's the whole reason we're here, human. But I'll oblige." He reached up with his clawed hand and slowly pulled down the hood.

Julius Lupin frowned in disgust. The creature before him was filthy. Small, bloodshot eyes gleaned beneath bushy brows. Matted, muddy, mangy hair fell limply over his low forehead and misshapen head.

"Not pretty, am I?" laughed the beast, and Julius became aware of his breath. He imagined that he could detect the tangy smell of blood.

"You've been threatening me, Greyback," Julius said. Though his voice was controlled, a deep and deadly undercurrent of loathing bubbled beneath the surface.

The werewolf leered at him. Julius could almost see the bloodstains that turned the ivory brown.

"Well I'll have none of it. You make one move towards either myself or my family, and I'll have your kind eradicated."

Greyback laughed. "You think you could do that, human? Well, try. In the meantime," he licked his lips. "I will destroy you."

Julius suppressed a shiver. Greyback's smile widened. Julius knew that he could smell his fear.

"I don't care what you do to me," Julius stammered the cliché that all would-be heros stammered.

"But you do care what I do to your family, is that it, human?" Greyback's wild laugh ended in un-human howl. "Your son's name is Remus, isn't it? Wonderful name. For a wolf pup."

Julius's breath came fast and hot, a sickening, greasy sensation rising in his throat.

Greyback laughed again, softly this time, at his lack of response. "The one thing you fear, and I have it, Lupin, and I will use it. You can rest easy tonight. You're the lucky one. I want you to know that your life is spared because of what you named your son. When you see his mangled body the day after the moon is full, know that the name you cursed him with is what killed him."

Greyback twisted and disapparated clumsily, a deafening crack shattering the night's silence. Julius was left alone, his ears ringing, and his limbs shaking with fear.

He sat down heavily on a log a few feet away. Greyback had requested that their meeting place be a forest, as that was the terrain he felt most comfortable with. Julius was an able wizard and so had thought himself capable of defending himself against the werewolf, should the need arise, despite being in the wolf's home territory.

Julius massaged his temples wearily. Surely Greyback was bluffing. Both Remus and and Diana were safe at home, and it was a week still until the full moon. If Greyback really had the intention of biting Remus, woudn't he have kept it quiet? After all, now Julius had a week to prepare himself. Or maybe the wolf just liked a challenge...

Had the werewolf really picked Remus because of his name? It was the fashion in the wizarding world (especially among the affluent) to name children names used in antiquity. He knew a young man named Amos Diggory for example, and there was that young Lucius Malfoy, too. He and Diana had simply followed the fashion and indulged in their love of ancient Rome in naming Remus. He had never dreamed the name would be a problem for him.

Julius stood. He needed to prepare himself if Greyback really was targeting Remus. He and Diana must be moved to some place safe, and if that was not possible charms needed to be placed on their house, in the very least.

Julius raised his wand and turned on the spot. The last thing he saw before being sucked into the tunnel was the waxing moon, serene and beautiful in the night sky.


	3. Chapter 3

Remus found himself staring at the blank piece of parchment. He set it down emotionlessly and stared at the bookshelf across the room.

All this time, he'd pitied the werewolf that had bitten him. He had figured that he had bitten him by accident, a victim of the rage caused by the moon. But now he knew. He had been targeted because of what his father had done. In the end, he had been bitten because he had been allowed to stray from the house. Why hadn't his parents done a better job at protecting him? Remus resisted the urge to pound on the table by standing and pacing around the room. Three long strides brought him to the darkened window. He turned around. Three again brought him to the fireplace.

And to think that his name had been the cause of it. Remus had always been fond of his name. It was short, simple, unique, and had an elegance about it, according to Elina. Just last night she had told him how the name 'Remus Lupin' was the loveliest, most perfect name ever coined.

"It flows so well," she had said, smiling at him across the pillow. "And it looks so beautiful written down. So balanced. And the meanings behind it are fascinating, don't you think?"

He had agreed with her to humor her, but now her comment seemed extremely appropriate. Remus was a character of legend, raised by a she-wolf. He had to admit that it was odd, that he had been named after a man associated with wolves only to become as a wolf himself. Now he knew that it was not the interesting coincidence he had always thought it was.

'Remus' appeared sinister now. It had condemned him to a life of misery. Again, Remus thought bitterly, this was his parents' fault.

Irritated, Remus flicked his wand at the lamp and the room was bathed in a comfortable orange light. For a second, he saw himself as a young boy, still human, playing with a small rubber ball while his mother worked at the desk and his father read. The vision faded and Remus was overcome by an intense nostalgia. His anger at his parents vanished.

He could not stay in this house alone, he knew. It was too filled with memories and his parents were too recently dead.

Remus reached the fireplace and a flame burst into life in the grate. He took a small pinch of glittering-green floo powder and threw it in.

"32 Crescent street, Godric's Hollow." He said, sticking his head into the flame.

He found himself staring into a small, comfortable sitting room. A young woman lounged on the couch reading. She looked up and smiled at him, not at all surprised at seeing his head apparently floating in the fire.

"Almost done, Moony?"

"No," he sighed. "Can you come over? It's a bit lonely."

Elina's smile faded as she looked at him sadly. "Of course, Remus, I'll be right there." Remus knew that he did not need to say anything else. She understood.

He pulled his head out of the fireplace and she walked through a moment later, gracefully brushing ash off her skirt.

Elina Brisby was small, delicate, intelligent, and Remus loved her. He wrapped his arms around her and breathed in the comforting smell of her long golden hair. She pulled away and kissed his lips softly. Her green eyes searched his face intently as she tried to understand what was wrong without asking.

"My dad wrote me a letter," Remus whispered in answer. "And sent me a memory."

Her eyes widened. "A memory? Of what?"

Remus sighed and turned away, suddenly feeling ashamed. "He sent me a memory of the werewolf that bit me." He heard Elina gasp behind him.

"Why?" she whispered. He could hear the fear in her voice.

"So I could know the truth," he said, turning around and looking at her.

She hesitated. "Who was it?"

"Greyback," Remus said flatly.

"Greyback? That monster?" Elina's voice shook with sudden anger. Remus's heart swelled with love to see her so angry on his behalf. "That pathetic slave of, of-"

"Don't say it, it's taboo!" Remus interrupted frantically. Elina took a deep breath, trying to take control of herself.

"And I felt sorry for that pathetic SOB!" Elina cried, angry tears leaking from her eyes.

Remus took her in his arms again. This was not the reaction he expected.

"Sorry," she said, pulling away and wiping her eyes. "But why you?"

"My dad," Remus said miserably. "Made him angry. Was trying to get werewolf rights destroyed. Greyback bit me in retaliation." He did not mention that his father had been the original victim until Greyback had remembered the name 'Remus'.

Elina stared at him, aghast. "All this time," she whispered. "All this time we thought it was an accident."

Remus frowned and walked over to the desk. He was not sure whether he wanted to discuss this yet. Perhaps asking Elina to come had been a mistake.

"Moony," she said, her tone apologetic, as if she had sensed his thoughts. "Moony, I know you don't want to talk about this. I wouldn't either, if I were you, but I think it would help."

Remus smiled at her wearily to show that he was not angry. "I'm sorry, Mithril. I'm just tired. Later, alright?"

She nodded. "Of course."


End file.
